A file photo of President Barack Obama. PHOTO: AFP
The administration has sought over $800million of which $534million is reserved for civilian assistance and $307million for security assistance, according to the Voice of America.
The budget document stated that the request for aid demonstrates US commitment to assist Pakistan's counter-terrorism and counterinsurgency capabilities.
The document added that in view of the ongoing transition in Afghanistan, the Foreign Military Financing is essential to Pakistan's efforts to increase stability on its western border region as well as overall stability within its own borders.
The request is part of US President Barack Obama’s $4 trillion spending plan for 2016.
COMMENTS (41)
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Economic assistance..??? Hahahaha.. is that what your newspapers call alms to your begging bowl.. ??????
@Tyggar:
Well for Wars: U r telling us what you have been taught. The story is totally different on our side.
Back stabbing the Muslims has been the Ritual of your Nation even long before existence. Should I paste the links here stating the Narrow Mindedness Index of your Nation??
And Yes Pakistanis are much more flexible ethnically than Indians... I always say that Indian Trolls have lots of time to focus on Pakistan than to look after their own issues...
And if you are so much ego conscious, give Kashmiris the right to decide their Fate...and if don't know your wicked history I can tell you...it would be my pleasure to correct your general knowledge. ..
@ET..i hope this comment will be published
@Tyggar: You obviously can't read other wise all comments here blame Corrupt politicians for taking the money
@Ammar: Also the Hate that Indians throw on us is the main reason of our Unity :)
Good that you realise. Hate towards India has been your country's raison d'être since formation. But then hate begets hate. You have the last 60 years to answer for including waging all four wars on us plus years of proxy terrorism.
@Gp65: Totally agreed, actually i am impressed by your research.
Let us think another way, I know Pakistanis who are reluctant to send money home or make investments in Pakistan due to certain conditions. With little attention, we can increase the remittance by 30-40%(As Pakistanis have more than 300Billion $ abroad), and you will see in near future the exponential growth.
Again i maintain my point that its a very small chunk of AIDs that we really dont need. In other words its the facilitation fee, called as Coalition Support Fund, being given to Pakistan as a rent for using our land. As a reference, you can compare that small Fee to Military Budgets of international forces in Afghanistan, you will come to know may be it costs less than Pampers used by soldiers(Kidding ;) ).
And rest, there is always a view point, if you analyse the situation from your end, its very obvious that it will be your view that necessarily does not need to be correct. If you keep interfering in Neighbors matters, obviously you are going to face the heat one day(True for Pakistan as well).
Pakistan is now in crisis, thats a well known fact but its just a matter of time. Also the Hate that Indians throw on us is the main reason of our Unity :)
Pakistan should stop playing games in Afghanistan and India to avoid international isolation like North Korea. Sheltering high-value terrorists while taking money to fight them does not go down well. Nations do not forget like Pakistan forgot the Osama incident. Good luck.
America, Saudi Arabia and China really need to stop all support and aid to Pakistan so that the country is forced to become self reliant and grow. It would be the only way to get rid of this corrupt political military infrastructure and give a chance to progressive hardworking Pakistanis to take charge of their country. This 'aid' does more harm to us than good. They will be doing us a huge favor.
@Ammar: I am not @woody but let me answer. Your government has a fiscal degicit and inadequate foreign exchange. The remittance helps for the forex but not for the fiscal deficit. Please note, total tax your government raises is around 17 billion from all sour es. It spends around 6.5 billion on defense, 7 billion on interest payments leaving 3.5 billion for health , education, infrastructure, judiciary, dubsidies, administeative expenses of running government. 1bilkion addittion is almost a 30% addition and not anything to sneeze at. The reason you all had run out of fuel was due to the luquidity crisis. As the aid reduces, the liquidity will get worse.
There goes the money to put grass on our dinner table.
@ karim,very reasonable!
@woody: I agree a bit but lets see it in a wider scope...
ThE money gets directly injected into the economy of Pakistan. ..like buying consumer products, housing industry, new factories etc means that on every part millions of dollars of Tax is deducted... for example 17% GST on all consumables that is way more than the AIDs.
And also big chunk of money is used by some NGO for their own projects that help the donor country more than Pakistan.
But u didn't answer my real question.
@Ammar:
It's comparing apples and oranges. The Pakistanis who work oversees aren't donating money to the govt of Pakistan - they earn money for themselves and their remittances are essential for the welfare of their families. Pakistan monitors these remittances closely because they are a source of hard currency which Pakistan need for international trade.
@woody:
"Aid should be limited to humanitarian (strictly administered by NGO’s) and maybe specialized projects like teaching hospitals specifically designed to help the common people"
Fully support your suggestion. This way the general public, instead of a few, will be benefited and US would get the appreciation for help.
@above indian trolls
Lets get the facts together. ..
Nearly 20 Billion USD is sent home by overseas Pakistanis...we aren't bothering about that so called AIDs.
Even the service cahrges and Toll for using our road networks and airports is more than this AIDs.
But the real Question is What is making you so uncomfortable? ?
Perhaps it's time for the USA to rethink the entire Pakistan support system. Giving money hasn't bought goodwill with govt, military or people whom who take it without so much as a thank you ... it's as though they are somehow entitled to it. Aid should be limited to humanitarian (strictly administered by NGO's) and maybe specialized projects like teaching hospitals specifically designed to help the common people.
This is not aid. This is payment for services that Pakistan has provided USA. USA should pay more compensation.
@Saira Khan: A 10% cut in the expenditures of the army and the civil Government would not be a bad idea after all ?.
Rex Minor
@Saira Khan: That actually burnt them.. Bulls eye!
@Saira Khan How would american business destroy india? They are investing in solar, it will reduce our dependence on dirty coal(polutes environment) and oil imports. Investing in our cold storage- agriculture will help preserve 50% perishable goods that gets destroyed before reaching market. Better returns/more food,zero wastage for farmers. Top American universities opening its branch in india/foriegn facility for special lecture. Investing in defence production which will reduce our cost of arms import. We will learn the dynamics do our own advancement build an industry and produce/export. How's that distruction? We ain't putting boots in any country for them, nor are we raising Armed group for them.
Pakistan a cash starved country, whose infrastructure and economy at large is badly affected by the ongoing terrorism from the last four decades. It can't afford to effectively undertake, counter terrorism war. On the other hand, its institutions are badly plagued with corruption and nepotism, recent fuel crisis, impaired gas supplies and long hours power breaks are the outcome. The crisis, it is undergoing were created by all the capitalist countries under the leadership of America, it is the moral obligation of the above-mentioned countries to help Pakistan till the mujahedin war machine is fully dis assembled. It is a saying that building is constructed in months, whereas demolished in minutes. On contrary, a war machine is built in months where as scrapped in decades. It is not the matter of governments, but the sufferers are the public. Pakistani public has already sacrificed human life up to 1,000,000 directly from bullet and hunger. If there is any complaint from the government, it could be resolved at governmental level, but public should not be exposed to further sufferings. It is the obligation of all to help government of Pakistan till the total clearance of terrorists of all kinds and aid according to the requirement must be continued till terrorism trone infrastructure and institutions are rehabilitated. Measurement is very easy, take the data of late 70s and the comparison of Pakistani economy with other global economies and compare it now. This is our right to ask the global comity of nations to give us back what we have lost in your war against expansionist Russian socialism and communism.
@Saira Khan: BAN TRIBUNE OUTSIDE PAKISTAN, THAT IS THE ONLY SOLUTION.
Now , one can expect the globe trotting Raheel to rush to US to beg for more. Who is going to meet him is the question?
@Saira Khan: You may crawl back into your hole and only return when you have learned to communicate through written words. Right now to put it mildly, you are not making any sense.
Besides the economic assistance to Pakistan directly or indirectly contribute to the wealth of those associated to the politics.
All the indian trolls here on our newspaper sites should go back to making more money for Herr Modi's mouth lubricants, so that he could chew his way to more American businesses wanting to destroy India from the inside out. At least here in Pakistan, for good or worse, the Americans are finally leaving. We also welcomed them like this decades ago. They're going to give you the same candy now. Just buy more oral lube for Modi, that's the trick.
" US seeks 10% cut in economic assistance to Pakistan" +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Worry Not China will increase 10% the problem only being that Chnia's aid is 10% of US's.
We are just a tissue paper in the eyes of USA. Our nation realises that, however, our politicians cling on to US for mostly personal gains, direct or indirect, fair or unfair.
Uh oh, Pakistan JUST spent the last aid money on buying a new cruise missile from China. Not the right time to cut aid, America. Pakistan hasn't bought a rocket that can take them to Mars, or knowing Pakistan, to the center of the Sun..
@Prakash: it's standard american policy whenever it leaves from a war zone country. It's reduces spending in that region. I don't think Modi has anything to do with it. India Only wanted terror organisation behind mumbai be banned and its funding be cut.it only raised objection against "security aid to fight terror outfits" being used to buy weapons against india or any activity in disputed region. Never opposed to economic aid.
Modi must have pushed him!
Pakistan should do more and America should do less.
It is wise move. Why should Pakistan be dependent on other assistance, it needs to learn to stand on itself and the bureaucrat + politician who don't give a dam needs to know this .
Secondly get out this mess and you won't need any assistance .
Just 10%? Obama promised that it would be 50% !!
Now Pakistanis will abuse US for giving 10% less aid
As usual after the work is done, usa leaves the people of Pakistan in deep trouble by destroying economy almost 90%. Please cut our assistance 100% and leave our country.
Awww that's sad.
3 day national mourning in Pakistan.